Improvement in hydrants



I i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM BAILEY, 0Ey TROY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT; INN HYD RANTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 48,504, dated July 4, 1865.

Figure l is a central sectional elevation, and.

Fig. 2 a top view, of that portionof the hydrant which embodies my invention; and Fig. 3 is a top view, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevaftion on a reduced scale, of my improved hydrant incased for use, like parts being marked by the same letters in all the figures.

This invention relates to that well-known .class of compression-hydrants in which the water is let on and shut oft' by a valve, which Y is opened with and closed directly against the current of Water issuing from the supply-pipe by means ofa screw, which is turned by hand from'the top of the hydrant-box by the use of an intervening key, aud as the motion ofthe scew-operated valve in such compression-hydrants is necessarily quite slow in shutting off the current of water, the supply-pipe in'such hydrants is -far less liable to be burst bythe momentum of the moving water in the supplypipe on closing the shut-ott' valve than in other kinds of hydrants in which the shut-off valve is closed instantly, or nearly so,by means of a reacting spring, or lever, or by the -eurrentof water itself on releasing the opened valve, and

' consequentlysuchscrew-operatedcompressionhydrants are often preferred to the other kinds above mentioned. However, in using such compression-hydrants the operating-screw, or the valve, or the valve-seat, or the valve-chamber is sometimes liable to get out of order or Worn, so as to need renewal or repairs, and the delivery-pipe, which conducts the water from the valve-chamber up through the h ydrant-box,

`is sometimes liable to be burst by water freezingin it, or, when of iron, to become rusted outV 4near the valve-cham ber, so as to require the old pipe to be replaced by a new one; and in the screw-operated compression-hydrants hitherto in use the valve-chamber, with the valve-seat, was commonly castor formed in one piece with the supply-pipe, which was permanently fixed h at the bottom of the hydrant-box, so that in such previously-made compression-hydrants it was necessary to dig up the ground around and `down to the bottom of the hydrant-box to get at and repair or renew the valve-seat, valvechamber, or delivery-pi pe. In order to avoid that defect, I make the valve-chamber E, Figs. 1 and 3, with the main or inlet valve seat Gr therein in a separate piece from the fixed supply-pipe O, and connect the said valve-chamber and supply-pipe together by means of upright male and female screws N, Fig. 1, s`o formed and arranged on the said valve-chamber E and supply-pipe O that the valve-chamber, with the lowervalve-seat, G, therein1 the compression shut-ofi' valve A, with its operating-screw, and the delivery-pipe M can be'all readily unscrewed together at the screw-joint N from the fixed supply-pipe O and drawn up through and out of a suitable hollow hydrantbox, Z, having an open or removable top, X, and then repaired or renewed in any required part, and all put back down through the hydrant-box and rescrewed to the fixed supplypipe, in proper condition for use (all from the top of the hydrant-box) without taking up or disturbing the latter or digging up the ground around it.

When the` disclIarge-pipe M is of iron all of the working parts of the hydrant may commonly be unscrewed from and rescrewed upon the fixed pipe O by means of the pipe M itself; but in case the discharge-pipe shall not be strong enough for that purpose I use any suitable key to reach down to and engage with and unscrew the valve-chamber E from and rescrew it upon the said fixed snpply-pipeO at the screw-joint N, of which I make either the male or the female part on the supply-pipe.

I n the screw-operated compression-hydrants heretofore in use the main valve, which lets on and shuts off the water, and also the waste valve, which closes andopens the vent through which the water that is left in the delivery-pipe on closing the main valve runs ont,are both commonly formed or fastened on a movable nut, into which the operating-screw screws in and out, and thereby slides the nut, with the two valves thereon, on or between Xed guides inthe valve-chamber so as to thus let on and shut off the water, and also close and open the said waste-vent in the hydrant; but, instead of thus making the valves fast on a movable or F into the valve-chamber E, and from there up and out through the delivery-pipe M, and will also at the same time and operation raise the waste-valve B against its seat J, so as to thereby prevent the escape of water out through the waste-passage I, and also in such manner that upon turning the said screw C in the opposite direction the screw will then force the valve A down onto its seat G, and thereby shut offthe water, and will also at the same time and operation lower the valve B away from its seat J, so as to let the water that is Ithen left in the discharge-pipe M run down back and out through the waste-opening I. By thus making the main valve A and the waste-valve B each fast upon or in one piece with the operating-screw G itself', and with the latter screwing through the top D o1" the valve-chamber E, as above described, I make the hydrant of fewer parts or pieces and of more simple construction` than if the valves were fast on `a screw-nut that was slid in ways or guides by the screw, as in the aforesaid compression-hydrants heretofore in use, and also avoid the considerable friction and wear that attend the sliding movements of the said screw-operated valve-nut in such previously-used compressionhydrants.

In the annexed drawings, Y is a key or rod for turning the screw C from the top of the hydrant-box to open and close the valves A B.

I make the valves and valve-seats of any suitable materials, and either flat or circular, as at B J, or conical, as at A G, or of other suitable forms, and either with or without india-rubber or leather packin gs p on thevalves or valve-seats, and generally arrange leather or india-rubber packingrin gs q r, Fig. l, at the screw-joints K and N, to prevent leakage at those places.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The detachable valve-chamber E, with its discharge-pipeM,inlet-valve seat G, and screwoperated inlet-valve A, in combination with the iXed supply-pipe O, united to the said valve-chamber by male and female screws N, and arranged in the hydrant-box Z, Fig. 4, substantially as herein described.

2. The valves A and B and screw C, all fast together, in combination with the stationary screw-nut D, valve-chamber E, inlet-passage F, discharge-pipe M, waste-opening I, and valve-seats G and J, as herein described.

WILLIAM BAILEY.

Witnesses:

P. I. MARSH, AUsTIN F. PARK. 

